When is it a good idea to have a mobile app?

There are 2.2 million apps available on the App Store, while the Google Play store is home to 2.8 million. With these figures in mind, you may be thinking it’s a great idea for your business to have a mobile app built, especially considering the amount of time we dedicate to our mobile devices. Research from RescueTime – an app created to monitor phone use – reveals people spend an average of three hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day, most of which is spent on apps.

However, according to Statista, 25 percent of apps downloaded by mobile users worldwide were only accessed once, proving that not all apps add value. So before diving into development, you need to decide if building a mobile app is right for your business.

What are your competitors doing?

If your competitors already have one, check their statistics in the app stores. Things like the number of downloads and user reviews will give you an indication of how successful their app is. If it’s thriving, you don’t want to be left behind. You may need to offer your customers an app that provides the same level of functionality, if not more.

Is your website optimised for mobile devices?

Responsive web design can generate a vastly improved user experience for anyone accessing your site via a mobile device. If you don’t already have a mobile-friendly site, our in-house web developers recommend upgrading before you go down the mobile app route.

Will your app be useful?

This is vital. Don’t just build an app for the sake of having one. If it doesn’t add an extra layer of functionality or convenience to your responsive website, your app will struggle to gain traction with customers. Even worse, it risks becoming one of those forgotten ‘accessed once’ apps.

Will your app resolve customer issues?

The best business apps resolve an issue for customers. Online banking apps, for instance, make it possible to manage your money without visiting a branch. So, consider your target audience’s pain points and brainstorm ways to address them with an app.

Will your app make life easier?

No-one likes the tedious process of re-entering personal billing information, especially on smaller devices such as smartphones. If your business relies on repeat customers, an app that eliminates the need to manually re-enter details is likely to generate increased sales, because fewer people will abandon the purchasing process part way through.

Finally, remember that you must plan your app around your customers’ needs.